The Tale of Two Brothers
by Merci's Savior
Summary: Tony had never gotten along with his brother, in fact, Tony would say he family hated him. Mind you, there was ten years difference between the two, that didn't help. Tony had always felt like his parents had sent him off because they didn't care about him, only to go and adopt a one and half year old boy from Wales. He wasn't jealous of Harry, he wasn't.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey all, so I've been on a bit of a Marvel binge, mainly the movies, lately. And I've been reading so many stories where Harry Potter is Tony's son, but I was going through some info about Tony Stark, and it says he was born in May 1970. That's only ten years before our dear boy-who-lived. Then, well this is what happened. Enjoy, let me know what you think. Obviously, this is a work in progress. I'll try to update as much as I can, but life does get in the way. :)**

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><p>Growing up, Tony had to admit, he had hated his brother. Oh, he was family, and he probably would do anything for him, but he couldn't stand him otherwise. The age difference was one. Tony was, of course, ten years older than him. Which, in itself, was probably half the reason for the dislike. He'd been shipped off to boarding school at the earliest chance, 'to further his education' of course, and then his parents had gone and adopted this one and a half year old boy from Wales.<p>

And then of course, just before his little brother turned eleven, their parents has died in a car crash, leaving him to look after him. He'd been twenty-one, he'd been barely old enough to look after himself, let alone a child.

It'd all gone to hell when Harry had turned eleven. He'd never let the kid near his electronics, not trusting his excuses that he hadn't meant to make it blow up. Unfortunately, Harry had been right, it wasn't his fault, not really.

What with, a mail delivery owl (are you kidding? Really? Who thought up that brilliant idea? Bloody people stuck in the dark ages) and a giant of a man (he'd asked if he actually was, and been laughed at, apparently, giants were much, much bigger) that had just appeared in their living room without so much as a sound, Tony and Harry had been convinced of Harry belonging in the Wizardry World (or rather, the English one, as the 'giant' had insisted).

So Harry had gone off, at eleven years old, to his parents alma mater, to learn the tricks and trade of a born wizard. For seven years, they'd lost contact.

Not that it was all his fault really. Harry had stayed with a family in England on the holidays, and well, Tony didn't have access to an owl (and he didn't want contact with one. Did you know the diseases those things could carry?). Tony had also taken over Stark Industries from Obadiah Stane, and well, he'd gotten a bit obsessed into turning S.I. into one of the most (he said 'the most' but Pepper had dissuaded him otherwise) advanced companies in the world.

And then Harry had appeared. Eighteen years old, looking about a hundred, (Tony swore that he'd seen grey hair in Harry's pitch black permanent messy hair) and somehow, covered in scars from somewhere that had been pitched to Tony as 'the safest place in the world'. Somehow, without Tony being there for his younger brother, Harry had grown up.

On the bright side, he hadn't sounded like a ponce, he had a very light American accent, and for once, Tony and Harry (well, Tony did, Harry had only ever wanted Tony to like him) forgot all their differences and acted like brothers.

They'd spent the night catching up, drinking, toasting to Harry's success and Tony's business accomplishments. Of course, it hadn't taken long before it had all gone to hell in a hand basket. Tony could sometimes be an insensitive prick afterall, (oh screw that, he was an asshole all the time, he knew that) and he'd made a comment about Harry being a kid or something. In fact, he didn't remember what he had said that started it, he just remembered Harry's look of disappointment, before he'd turned on the spot and disappeared.

It took another ten years, a desert, almost dying and a bit of a conscious overwrite for Tony, before they spoke again.

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><p><strong>So what do you think? Review, let me know. Love it, hate it, I don't mind. :)<strong>

**- Merci's Savior**


	2. Chapter 2 - Ugh, Feelings

**Okay, so I woke up this morning, thinking I'll just check my story see how people are reacting to it, I'll probably have like two reviews and, maybe a couple of followers. Well, I was setting myself up for a shock apparently. You guys are amazing. As I'm writing this, I have 60 Followers for this story, 30 Favourites and 12 Reviews and my story has been viewed 836 times! I can't even. You've completely made my day.**

**To clear up a couple of things, I'm using Iron Man movie verse, as well as Avengers, Thor and any Marvel movie that involves Tony Stark really, and I'm combining it with the Harry Potter book universe. Which means, Harry Potter will be canon except for the fact that he was Harry Stark and there will be no Ginny Potter or the three kids. That epilogue always creeped me out. Oh and this will not be a rehash of the Iron Man films, there might be the same villains, similar fight scenes in parts, but it won't be the same old story (I hope).**

**Oh and you all should be super proud. I'm actually writing out a plot for this story so I know where it's going the entire time. :) That should mean updates on a semi-regular bases if my muse stays with me.**

**_I do not own Harry Potter, Iron Man/Tony Stark, S.H.I.E.L.D., The Avengers, Hulk, Captain America, nor do I own anything else that is mentioned in here. This is a work of fiction, written with other people's characters because they are just so much cooler than mine. _**

**Now onto the second chapter. :)**

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><p>The Tale of Two Brothers<p>

Chapter Two:

Ugh, Feelings.

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><p>It wasn't often he was wrong.<p>

Okay, that was a lie. He was often wrong, unless it came to technology, he was an undisputed genius when it came to that. When it came to family and friends though? Yeah, he was wrong a lot. He blamed his intellect. Geniuses were known for their social awkwardness, and while he had many eccentricities to almost make up for that, he just wasn't good with people.

Unless they were girls and he was trying to get into their pants. But that was a whole different story. That, that he had learned, that had come with practice.

Oh he was getting off on the wrong foot, time to start again, let's start a little bit earlier.

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><p><strong><em>Press Conference<em>**

**_Stark Industries Main Branch_**

**_California_**

**_2:30pm_**

"_I never got to say goodbye to my father. There's questions that I would have asked him. I would have asked him how he felt about what this company did. lf he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts. Or maybe he was every inch the man we all remember from the newsreels. ... I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them. And I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability." _

"_Mr Stark!"_

"_Hey, Ben."_

"_What happened over there?"_

"_I had my eyes opened. I came to realize that I have more to offer this world than just making things that blow up. And that is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division until such a time as I can decide what the future of the company will be. What direction it should take, one that I'm comfortable with and is consistent with the highest good for this country, as well."__**(Extract from Iron Man 2008, I do not own)**_

Tony Stark walked off, Pepper trailing behind him, ignoring everything it seemed, but in fact, he couldn't hear them. Maybe he should take Pepper's advice and go to the hospital. He shook his head at himself, he couldn't, they couldn't know about his chest, they'd lock him up in a psych ward and throw away the key. After all, who puts things in their chest voluntarily, never mind it was keeping him alive. _Morons. _

"_Tony." _

He stopped. Crap, she'd sounded worried.

"_Yes Miss Potts." _Dammit, why did he always do that? Every time someone worried about him and his business he pushed them away, not physically, okay sometimes physically, but most of the time, it was with his wording. He distanced himself. It was how that fight had started with Harry ten years ago, he just couldn't handle it.

She looked at him, conflicted, as if trying to figure out if what she wanted to say was worth it. God, she was beautiful. She was perfect.

"_Shall I put the staff in the weapons division on paid leave, or make them redundant sir?" _Obviously not what she was going to say, she would never ask his opinion on something like that, she would do what was best for the staff of Stark Industries, she always did. They were her family.

"_I'd transfer them to different divisions for the time being Miss Potts. We have the best and the brightest, let's see if they can make things other than death." _

He knew that he wasn't being his usual self. There'd been no witty remarks, no obscure references, no slightly sleazy remarks that would've made her laugh. This was serious. Something he hadn't been since his parents had died when he was 21, and for a short period ten years ago.

"_Will that be all Mr Stark?"_

"_That will be all Miss Potts." _

She walked off, leaving Tony standing there, rubbing his chest, he'd have to upgrade his chest piece soon, go for something a little less bulkier, and then he would have to look for a alternative to palladium because it would slowly kill him otherwise. Of course, there were preventions that he could use for the moment. He needed to focus on a suit.

Tony turned back to the exit he was going, spotting Happy following him at a distance as he did so. Good, he was still pretty jumpy. He needed all the backup he could get if something ended up happening. Losing half your ribs, and having metal shoved into your chest to save your life was no easy task. Why did he do it again? Oh that's right, he didn't have a choice. He doubted the hole in his chest would ever heal, even if he ended up getting rid of the shrapnel near his heart.

He ran his hand over his face, he hadn't slept since they'd found him in the desert. No one blamed him, they'd only guessed what he had gone through of course, but they knew enough of terrorist groups to have the basic idea of what they did to prisoners. In fact, it was rather pathetic how well he'd managed to fob them off on debriefing him.

He rubbed his eyes again, he was getting a headache. His brain was going a hundred miles an hour in six different directions, it was frustrating. He wanted to look at the arc reactor that they'd built. Maybe that would stir up some inspiration. He closed his eyes as he walked, trying to focus on something else apart from the pain that his head and chest seemed to radiate. Or maybe, he could make them his motivation.

It was because of this, that he didn't notice the person in front of him. He was used to people moving out of the way, he was Tony Stark afterall, billionaire. People moved when he moved, people listened when he talked. So he ran into someone, the same height as him, maybe taller, but solid. Tony's hands went straight to his chest, as if they could help the shooting pain that had taken over from the dull ache that would never fully disappear.

"_You're alive." _

He started, he would never admit it, but the relief in that tone startled him, as if they actually cared that he'd come back home, safe. Tony opened his brown eyes and stared at the green-eyed twenty-eight year old in front of him.

"_Harry."_

That was all he'd said, and then he was being hugged.

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><p><strong>What do you think? :) Let me know.<strong>

**Merci's Savior**


	3. Chapter 3 - Affection Causes Injuries

**So I might have just acted like a little kid, one of my favourite authors on added me to their story alert and I've reached over 150 followers and over 65 favourites. :D I'm pretty sure I just went squeee! Hope you enjoy this chapter, I was mostly done with it, then left it for a night, reread it and hated most of it so I redid it all. Tony is ridiculously hard to write. I just can't get his sarcastic arse self to come through how I like. Review, I love reviews, they make me want to write more, they feed my muse and he's a hungry little bugger. :)**

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><p>The Tale of Two Brothers<p>

Chapter Three

Affection Causes Injuries

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><p>He hadn't been able to help it. He'd gasped with the pain, and as soon as he had, he'd been released, with wide emerald eyes looking at him. How is it that his kid brother could, in his late twenties, pull off the puppy dog eyes? It wasn't fair. Pepper just laughed at him, now, if he tried to pull that with her, then again, maybe she had just developed a tolerance to it. He'd have to test that out at some other point.<p>

Tony swatted at Harry's hands, they'd been trying to rip open his shirt to see where he was hurt, glaring, despite the hurt look Harry sent his way. The pain that had, finally, gone down to a dull ache, was now back with fiery abandon. With the extra twinges traveling down his arm, he'd also probably pinched a few nerves that shouldn't have been disturbed. He'd be having an all-nighter tonight, definitely, to upgrade this chest piece. He couldn't be hurt by hugs, that was just pathetic and if had been anyone else, he'd be making wise cracks.

"What are you doing here?" Harry's eyebrows furrowed, as if his look of concern actually answered Tony's question. He took the chance to look over his kid brother. Oh, for the love of Pete (who was this Pete anyway?), he was taller then him. Really? He was also broader in the shoulders, and he looked comfortable in the stares he was getting from the crowd of reporters that just refused to leave. Tony ignored the satisfaction he got from realizing that Harry, well, he looked happy, content.

"Your press conference made world wide news. Even in my part of the world. I came as soon as I heard. I've been looking for you Tony." Even in just jeans and a t-shirt (was that a badge?), Harry looked powerful, commanding and everything that Tony tried to portray whenever under scrutiny by the reporters, except Harry, he just did it effortlessly.

"Missed our weekly bonding sessions, cuddles and our deep and meaningfuls, little brother?" With that sarcastic comment, the cameras went nuts. The reporters had finally caught up to them. They'd seen the hug, missed the photo op though, thankfully. Tony had a reputation to maintain, even with his brother. No one had seen the youngest Stark in almost twenty years, this was going to be headline news, alongside Tony's decision to close the weapons division of his company.

Tony sighed, pulling Harry along with him as he walked. He spotted Obadiah trying to calm the reporters and get his attention. Well, that was something he was going to avoid for the moment. Exiting the building, he pulled Harry alongside him, pushing him with his left arm when he tried to stop.

"Ah, ah! No escaping now. Came here to check on me, you get all the scary details. No backing out now, no disappearing acts. Going to act like a Stark, you'll get treated like a Stark." With that, Tony pushed Harry into the seat of the car that Happy was driving, following him close behind.

This conversation was not going to be fun, it was not going to be sunshine, daises or butter mellows, more than likely, with their tempers they were going to yell, they'd done it enough as kids afterall. They were silent as Happy drove, Tony had already informed him he wanted to look at the arc reactor before they left the branch.

"I just..." Harry huffed, running a hand through his insanely messy hair (seriously, had he ignored all those lessons about product when they were kids), and looking at Tony as if he was unsure whether to just disappear while he still could.

Tony ignored him, looking in the bag on the floor of the car for something, anything to keep him distracted. He smirked as he pulled out an ear piece, he knew that he kept Pepper around for a reason. In seconds, it was online and he was hearing a familiar voice, that somehow, he had missed almost as much as Pepper, Rhodey, Happy and even Harry.

"Good to have you back sir. Shall I run diagnostics?"

"Good to be back buddy. No, that can wait till we reach the house, J.A.R.V.I.S. make sure that Pepper knows we'll have company for dinner." Harry started, like a rabbit in front of predator and stared at him, gaping.

"Yes that means you, stop gaping. You look like a trout. Pepper will want to see you. It's not often we have the Head Auror of Britain visiting." Harry's eyebrows furrowed, as if he doubted the awesomeness that was Tony Stark.

"I only got the promotion just before you were abducted. How did you? ..." Harry paused.

"You know what? I don't even want to know your sources, I doubt they're legal." The black-haired man put his hands up in the air, as if he was pushing the thoughts and knowledge away from him.

Tony chuckled. He wasn't completely back to his old self just yet. He had just been held captive, tortured and been convinced he would die for the last three months afterall. He doubted anyone would bounce back as well as he did. He didn't want to give up his sources, but he knew that it would be more entertaining if he did.

"I got several letters delivered by owls. Really, are you kidding me with those? Technophobes, the whole wizardry race? Section? Whatever the hell you classify yourselves as. The owls delivered weekly reports on your bright and shiny self after our fight. In the last year, they've included pictures, updates on your love life. Poor form brother. Two dates in a year, and you didn't even get past first base. I'm ashamed. Ashamed I tell you."

Harry just stared at him.

"Luna." Tony wanted to pout, he thought that it would take Harry a little longer to put it together. Harry just grinned when he noticed Tony's put out face.

"She's the only one that knew about the dates. My best mates, Ron and Hermione just had their second child. Ron's still pestering me about Ginny marrying someone else." If he hadn't been getting weekly updates for ten years, sometimes with background on the people that frequently appeared in the letters, Tony would have been lost. Instead, he could picture a red-headed tall man, and a pregnant brunette. Luna's last letter had included several moving pictures. He still hadn't perfected copying that idea for technology either.

"Beware of sandy days and ungifted prophets." It had been on the back of the last letter sent to him. As if absentmindedly written. Harry looked at him in puzzlement. Tony laughed, for the first time since he was captured. It wasn't a light laughter, it was bitter. But he felt lighter, as if he was finally accepting his circumstances.

"I should meet this woman, Luna. She knows a lot more observant than most isn't she?"

Harry just nodded, smiling slightly. Somehow, he knew not to ask. The atmosphere in the back seat of the car seemed to be much more relaxed, the tension was disappearing, as if the last twenty years hadn't happened.

There was no gushing of emotions, no tears, they both had their faults, stubbornness was one they both had in abundance. Unknown to each other, they both had the same idea. Neither would let the other disappear out of their lives again. They were brothers, it was time they started acting like it.

Tony coughed, taking a sip of water from the bottle that always seemed to be in the back seat of any car he was in if he wasn't driving. Pepper's way of keeping him hydrated no doubt. That woman could be a evil genius if she put her mind to it. Thank the heavens, she wasn't.

"You were looking for me." He paused, refusing to look at this brother. He was trying to keep the flashbacks away, to keep from picturing Yinsen's face as he died. He took a deep and silent breath, pushing the mental images away. He'd deal with them later, preferably with alcohol, and a punching bag.

"Why did I stay in a cave for the last three months? What happened to 'magic can fix all boo boos?" That was what he had been led to believe afterall. There was no cancer in the wizardry world, or in their users, their innate magic fought it off. There was magical diseases of course, but no mundane ones (he refused to call himself a Muggle) that he knew of.

Harry winced, rubbing the back of his neck, reminding Tony of a anime he'd seen in the mid 90s. Harry even had the crazy black hair like the character. What was his name? Tony shook his head, it didn't matter.

"Sandy places tend to make tracking spells go haywire. And well, I'm Head Auror. I run the place now. I took as much personal time as I could, to look, but what with the sand, only being one man, and the fact that most people in the wizardry world don't even know I have a brother, I didn't achieve much. Pepper kept me updated with what little news she had." Harry looked, well, defeated, like he knew that Tony was just going to snap at him, tell him to leave him alone, that just because Howard and Maria had adopted him, didn't make them family.

"I should've made sure you were doing well in school, that you were living up to the Stark name. You should have been making a name for yourself." Tony stated, a complete 360 away from their current conversation, but Harry remembered what he was like, he reacted like it didn't surprise him.

"It's Potter."

"What?"

"Hogwarts refused to put my name down as Stark since I'd only been adopted in the muggle world. I'm Head Auror Harry James Potter, Recipient of the Order of Merlin, First Class."

Tony rolled his eyes, looking around to see if he could find a bottle of scotch, preferably from actual Scotland. Johnny Walker was not a scotch. And he needed a drink. Three months of forced sobriety were not fun, especially with torture, no sleep, sand and dead friends included in that.

"You're Harry James Howard Stark, wizard, Jiminy Cricket to all, Tony's Stark's little brother, hero. How do you sign your name?"

Here, Harry ran a hand through his hair while he sighed, proving Tony's point.

"Harry James Howard Stark."

"Exactly. You're a Stark, you want to be a Stark. Dad wanted you to be a Stark." Tony pouted slightly, not that he would ever admit it, it caused Harry to smirk slightly. Seemed Pepper had found his scotch compartment and taken his stash, and when he said scotch compartment, he meant his multiple scotch compartments. She was good, he'd have to add a passcode, maybe a fingerprint next time.

Harry rolled his eyes.

"What happened over there Tony?"

"I decided I wanted to be known as something other than the Merchant of Death." His tone was final, he wouldn't be talking about it. Harry ran a hand through his hair again. This, he understood. It was what caused him to make the next decision, it was time to be brothers, actual brothers. He couldn't do that from the other side of the world.

A flick of his wand, Tony stared at him, wondering how he had missed that. Harry started to speak. He knew what he was saying was being transmitted to a note that would send as soon as he ended the spell.

"I, Harry James Howard Stark-Potter, Head Auror and recipient of the Order of Merlin First class, do hereby issue my resignation from the Auror Corp due to a familial ordeal. I so swear on my magic that I have no been coerced in any way, shape or form.

P.S. Sorry Kingsley, I won't be back in the U.K. for a while. I have to do this. Deliver this message to Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt." A slight flash of light. He was officially unemployed.

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><p><strong>Another cliffhanger, I think I'm addicted. Sorry guys. I do have more written, but it's not flowing right, at least this chapter I'm happy with. I will try to put up the follow up soon. At least my chapters are slowly getting longer. :) Anyone catch my hint? Review, let me know what you think. Thank you again loyal readers. <strong>

**Merci's Savior**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter is dedicated to Skendo, who reminded me that I have followers and I really should write something for them. I'm sorry for the long wait. I can't believe I'm at over 500 followers, just over half of that favourites, and over 50 reviews. You are all amazing, and I'm so so so sorry for the long wait. I hope it's worth it. I'm not happy with it. But I need to get to the fun stuff.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4 - There's No Understanding Siblings<strong>

Silence. There wasn't much that could silence him, well, there wasn't much that was appropriate for the general public that could silence him. He was Tony Stark, he always had a quip, it was one of the things he was known for. That and being an asshole. So, how was it, that this asshole, had a brother, that had just quit his job? The one that he'd been working at since leaving school, the job that he'd just been promoted at.

People always amazed Tony, it was like they set out at birth, to see who could cause cardiac arrest from him as soon as possible. Tony blinked. He definitely needed a scotch now. Several scotches, maybe then he'd be able to figure out the mystery that was his little brother. Right now, it was making his head throb.

Tony ran his hand over his eyes. He just didn't know what to say. He knew Harry was staring at him, that he was waiting for him to explode, or say something, do something. But it was like, his mind had stopped. For once, he wasn't thinking of engineering improvements, formulas, his mind wasn't running a thousand miles a hour compared to everyone else's ten. He hated it.

Tony sighed.

"That doesn't change the fact that you're not allowed in my lab. Or my room, or to touch anything electrical."

There, that was somewhat quippy, wasn't it? Okay, it wasn't up to his usual standard, but really, his brother had just quit his job for him, and well, he was running off barely any sleep and a magnet keeping metal from reaching his heart. He doubted anyone could or would actually blame him.

Harry actually laughed, or his version of laugh actually, which Tony had always thought strange. It was quiet, almost silent and self conscious. He'd been laughing that way since his parents had brought him home, Tony had never thought to ask why anyone else's version of a chuckle, was his brother's version of a all out belly laugh.

"I wouldn't dream of it Tony." His laugh didn't even gradually stop like everyone else's, his just stopped, as if whatever he'd been laughing at just wasn't funny anymore.

"I want to make sure that you're fine Tony. You're my big brother. The last of my family. I need to make sure that you are going to be fine. That you're going to live a long life. I need to go back to London for a little while, but I will be back, and we will talk and we will be brothers."

The only way to describe the look on Tony's face, would have to be that of intense discomfort at the emotions being displayed. Not that he wasn't grateful, it was just, the Stark family really didn't do emotions. Tony was pretty sure that his dad had never told him that he loved him. They were just not those kind of people. But then again, Harry had always been the odd one out of the family.

That was it, the first thing he would do when he got home would be to have a scotch, and by scotch, he meant the whole bottle. Then maybe his head would make sense again.

"Harry," Tony paused, taking a sip of the water that really really didn't come close to the scotch he wanted.

"This is why you're not a badass. It's all about feelings with you. What about the hot chicks, the parties and the motorcycle?"

Harry smirked. "Well I do have a motorcycle."

Tony dropped the water, swearing when it hit the floor and exploded everywhere. He could've sworn he heard Happy laugh, but he ignored it.

"We'll talk about it later Tony. Go see Obi." And with a pop like a cork of a champagne bottle, his little brother vanished.

"I will never understand magic."

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><p><strong>What do you think? Like it, Hate it? Review. :)<strong>


	5. Chapter 5 - You Won

**6 months late, I know, I suck. I've written out so many versions of this chapter, but none of them flowed right, were up to standard or allowed me to follow them up with another chapter. So I was stuck. Here is another attempt. You guys are amazing. I'm sitting at 81 reviews, over 800 followers and over 400 favourites. That's insane. This is by fair my most popular story and I hope that I don't disappoint any of you. **

Chapter 5 - You won't get me on my knees.

Howard Stark had been doing business in London, organising back up schools for his son Tony, knowing that it wouldn't be long before something happened and he'd have to move schools. He'd waved off the car that had been waiting for him, wanting to walk through the city that had changed so much. He had spent very little time here, after the war, there were too many memories, and well, there were a fews years there where he was a wanted man.

Hands in his pockets, he walked through the streets slowly. He was getting on in age, his son was turning 11 soon, and most gentlemen, his age, were getting grandchildren sprung upon them. Howard had been a late bloomer, and Tony had been a surprise, not an unwelcome one, but a surprise none the less. He wasn't a bastard, no matter what the papers said. Maria and him had been married for a few years, it'd been a quiet ceremony, with only their closest friends. Howling Commandos and the higher ups of Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division were all there, as they should be, they were his closest friends, and he had helped found the government agency.

Howard ran a hand through his hair, sighing. He'd started giving more responsibility to his second in charge Obadiah Stane, just so that he wasn't so tired all the time. It was helping, but it had been part of the reason he had sent Tony off to boarding school, he hadn't the energy to help shape Tony's mind. His kid was a genius, without any doubt, but without the proper training, he wouldn't amount to anything. So he'd sent him off to the best school, he was already doing university work, not that the school had told him that.

Howard walked several more steps, not really paying any attention to his surroundings at all, just that he was headed in the right direction for his hotel. He almost walked past it, actually he had walked past. Then, he walked backwards and looked in. He would never understand why he had been interested in the scene, but he had stopped and looked.

A woman, well-off by her clothes, was trying to pass off a child to a orphanage worker. He could see the sign on the wall he was looking around of. He couldn't hear the words, but they were arguing, with the child being pushed back and forth between them. The eldest Stark couldn't help but stare in wonder at the child. He wasn't making a noise. He just followed the two with his bright emerald green eyes. And were they bright eyes, even from the distance Howard was away he could see the colour. They were bigger than what toddler's eyes should look like. Then they locked on to him.

Howard was stepping forward before he even realised he was doing so. Those eyes reminded him of someone, not the colour, but the expression behind them. It was something that reminded him of a friend he'd spent the last few decades trying to find. He couldn't leave this child behind like they'd left Steve behind.

When Harry had asked the story of how he'd become a Stark years later, Howard had struggled to put it into words. He hadn't even been able to remember the conversation he'd had with the horse looking lady. All he remembered was that he had walked away from that orphanage with a toddler in his arms, looking up at him, while he had papers in his pocket giving him full custody of one Harry James Potter. Howard would be damned if his new son would ever want for anything after this day. And he didn't.

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><p>Maria had been several years younger than Howard, in fact, she hadn't even been old enough to really remember the war that he had been a part of. But they had loved each other, even if they really didn't understand each other. The beautiful brunette had started as a desk clerk at Stark Industries, but her looks and her fast learning curve meant that she was quickly promoted to be one of 3 personal assistants for Howard Stark. After 6 months, the other 2 had been let go and she had organised his whole life for him.<p>

3 years later and they were married. Another 3 years after that and Tony had come into their lives. It had been obvious from the start that Tony would inherit his father's brain. It hadn't taken much before Maria had stepped down from work, trying to spend time with her son. But unfortunately, Tony had never wanted Maria's attention, so she turned to organising charities, fundraisers, and garden clubs.

She had always wanted to be a mother, but her lack of patience and short fuse meant that it was a struggle with Tony, who at 4 years old, had built his first circuit board and outsmarted her and knew it. So when Howard returned from his London trip with a toddler, she'd taken her second chance. She dotted on him, glad to have a child that didn't make her feel like an idiot whenever she asked a question.

Howard had tried to get him interested in science, engineering, anything that he and Tony were interested in, but when items starting blowing up without Harry even touching them, they'd decided it best to just let it be. Instead Howard took time to teach him sport, taking him to baseball games whenever he was free (which admittedly wasn't often).

The age difference between Tony and Harry had always been problematic, they rarely if ever got on. Which was strange, because Harry worshipped the ground that Tony walked on and just wanted to be like his big brother. But with Maria giving Harry all the attention that Tony had never wanted but always expected, and Howard showing Harry attention by taking him to his favourite teams' games, tension was strife in their household.

Tony threw himself into his studies, advancing faster than he had been, in the hope that somehow, his father would notice, pay attention and give him praise for his achievements. So by the time Tony was 17, he'd graduated from MIT at the top of his class. Only his mother and his brother showed up at his graduation. Howard had found something at work that desperately needed his attention.

Tony had started working in the Science division of Stark Industries, learning about the company he would one day run, but also using his brain to go bigger and better than what was already there. And the gaps between the seemingly happy on the outside family, grew wider and wider.

It wasn't until he'd received a frantic call from his mother that Tony returned to his childhood home. Harry had received a letter, via an owl, telling him that he was a wizard. Howard was again away, he'd discovered something and was investigating and it was important, not just for the company but for the world, or so he'd told Tony as he'd walked through the science division to tell him he was leaving.

Only after having a giant of a man and a wizened man come in and talk to them about magic did Tony believe them and agree with his mother to send Harry off to Scotland to study magic. Tony did believe that it was just an undiscovered form of science that only certain genetics could use though, and one day he would prove it.

Life went on, Maria left to catch up with Howard and tell him all about his youngest son. She'd kissed her eldest on the cheek, patted his shoulder, smiled and told him that she was proud. And that was the last conversation they'd had. He'd gotten the phone call a couple of weeks later, telling him that on their way home, something had gone wrong. His parents had died in a car accident, leaving him and his brother orphans.

Harry managed to come back for the funeral, Tony still couldn't remember how he'd gotten in contact, the whole month had been a blur. But the 11 year old had gone back to school, said he was needed, given his older brother a hug, wiped some tears and disappeared with a bag in their living room.

The next few months were a blur. His butler, who had looked after him since he was a baby, passed in his sleep only a few months after his parents, and well, Tony had never handled emotions well. He focused on his drinks, made some impulsive purchases, and then he came back with a bang. He took over Stark Industries, moved the head office to Los Angeles, away from the memories, built a custom mansion run by a A.I system that he had, of course, developed himself, and then he made the company thrive.

And the rest they say, is history.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, I know this isn't moving the story forward or anything but I thought it would help everyone get the history with the Starks. Let me know what you think. I do have another chapter in the works. Hopefully it won't be another 6 months from now, but you never know with my muse.<strong>

**- Merci's Savior**


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